Volunteer Information - Street Medicine Detroit

Volunteer Information

Due to liability insurance concerns, only Wayne State School of Medicine students can join SMD on Street Runs. If you would like to show your support for SMD with a donation, please click here.

Where To Meet

Meet at the Scott Hall first-floor lobby near the security/information desk twenty minutes prior to your street run. On morning street runs, the meeting time will usually be 8:40am, and on afternoon runs, usually 12:40pm; however, these times may be subject to change. Refer to Operations Director Robert Dikeman (rdikeman@med.wayne.edu) to confirm your meeting time before the run.

What To Wear

Wear your WSU OneCard in a clip badge. You can pick up a card sleeve and clip from the Scott Hall Security Desk.

Wear "non-flashy," unassuming clothing in terms of color, style, and skin exposure. Examples include gray, black, or dark blue shirts and sweaters, dark-colored blue jeans, and tennis shoes. The goal is to draw the patient’s attention to his or her care rather than to yourself.

Do not wear your white coat. We strive to create an environment of approachability and relatability that is best achieved through wearing more casual clothing.

What To Bring

Your stethoscope

A pen

Willingness to align your priorities with the patient’s priorities

Willingness to expect the unexpected

Timeframe

We aim for a three-hour street run, but cases are variable on any particular day. Given the special considerations we must provide to our patient population, please expect to see between one and three patients on a run.

Safety

Safety involves recognizing whose directive to follow for a certain situation during a street run. In general, as a student volunteer, you will have to follow the lead of the people serving the roles of street navigator, health professional, and street leader.

Street navigator

Look to the street navigator to notify the street team and health professional when to engage the patient and when to leave the premises. The street navigator has the final authority to begin and end interaction with a patient.

Health professional

Look to the health professional to assist and guide you in clinical engagement with the patient as is expected in a standard clinical setting.

Street leader

Look to the street leader for any questions or comments on “street etiquette,” the street run procedure, etc. Regarding WSUPD communications, the street leader is responsible for contacting WSUPD in the event of a situation requiring police presence or intervention.